Port Washington 2022_05_13

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Serving Port Washington, Manorhaven, Flower Hill, Baxter Estates, Port Washington North, Sands Point

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Friday, May 13, 2022

Vol. 7, No. 19

Port WashingtonTimes SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

DeSENA BLASTS DEMS HIGHWAY CHIEF PICK

BLAKEMAN NAMES ACTING ASSESSOR

PAGES 25-32

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Beys, Brooks, Tretola running for 2 board seats

DANCE OFF

$174.8 million district budget proposal on ballot May 17 for ‘22-’23 fiscal year BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Port Washington Board of Education President Emily Beys and Trustee Deborah Brooks are running for reelection against challenger Michael Tretola on Tuesday, May 17. Residents will also vote on a $174.8 million budget for the 2022-23 school year. The budget is a 4.5 percent increase from this year’s $167,268,942 budget. The budget calls for a 2.5 percent increase in the tax levy, which falls below the state-mandated cap. The 202223 tax levy is proposed to be slightly more than $150.5 million. Beys, who has served two terms as a board member, was first elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2019. She was unanimously chosen by the board to serve as president last year. Beys worked in advertising and marketing and was president of the Parents Council, Schreiber HomeSchool Association and Weber HomeSchool Association before sitting on the school board. Brooks, a lawyer, was first elected to the school board in 2019. A proponent of a whole-child education, Abramson-Brooks was appointed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to serve on the state’s Common Core Task Foce. Abramson-Brooks also played a key role in helping make sure the district

obtained its share of state aid as a result of the pandemic and described herself as a “fiscal conservative.” Tretola, a 20-year resident of Port Washington, said he has 25 years of financial experience working on Wall Street and described himself as a “critical thinker and fierce advocate.” Tretola also said his daughter, a fourth-grader with special needs, attends Guggenheim Elementary School, which has provided him with insight on advocating for the necessary educational resources on her behalf. In a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters Port WashingtonManhasset, the candidates discussed the state of the school district and pressing issues it faces. When posed the question of how to engage students affected by the pandemic, Brooks said she would like to see more participation in the clubs and sports throughout Schrieber High School from both a student and administrator perspective. “I really think there’s something for everybody in those clubs and I have always thought they were underutilized and I would love to see the administrators reach out to more students and bring in more to participate in those,” she said. Tretola said the simplest things can be the most effective to promote Continued on Page 49

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PORT WASHINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Sousa Elementary School held an All Children Exercising Simultaneously event to promote physically activity for all students

Bail set for ex-doc charged in death of Port man, 4 others BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Bail was set on Wednesday for a former doctor who recently had charges of murder reduced to manslaughter related to five people’s deaths including residents of Port Washington and Floral Park, accord-

ing to officials. Acting state Supreme Court Justice Francis Ricigliano set bail for George Blatti, 76, at $1 million cash, a $5 million insurance company bond or a $5 million surety bond, according to officials. The surety bond would be partially secured at 10 per-

cent, officials said. Blatti, who was indicted last year, allegedly prescribed five individuals fatal amounts of opioids and other medications, resulting in their deaths. Last week, Ricigliano reduced Continued on Page 38

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